THE BIG SHOW

In 1950, the advent of television was not only causing concern in the film industry but radio was beginning to feel the effect as well. In short, audiences were dwindling. To combat the problem, NBC spent lots of money to produce The Big Show, a 90 minute radio program which would feature famous guests performing skits, songs, and comedic routines.

Tallulah Bankhead was asked to host the show. She had guested in various radio programs in the past but had never done anything on an ongoing basis before. She was nervous and didn't really know what to expect or what her duty actually was so she approached the show with guarded anticipation.

The Big Show premiered on November 5, 1950 and played every Sunday night for the next three years. It was a rousing success and Tallulah was a great success. The guest list varied but included such names as Ethel Merman, Danny Thomas, Fanny Brice, Phil Silvers, Bob Hope, Clifton Webb, Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Holliday, Ethel Barrymore, Jimmy Durante, Milton Berle, Josephine Baker, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, George Sanders, Yul Brynner, Shirley Booth, Peggy Lee, Rosalind Russell and Merv Griffin.

NOTE: Updated Release! Fixed known issues with MP3 files freezing on Episodes 7 and 24, and other minor miscellaneous changes (21-Jul-2012).

From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs

Notes

OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHER'S GROUP

This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website and the Old Time Radio Researchers Group.

It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.

If you are interested in preserving old time radio, you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Yahoo.


This is the Single Episode Page. The Certified Set includes extras not found here. It is located at OTRR Certified Set. This page is provided in case you want to sample the shows.

Note that in many cases, file names have been modified from the original OTRR names to conform to archive.org naming requirements.


Relax, listen, and enjoy!

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OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that is Certified Accurate indicates that all the episodes are properly identified and labeled but that the series does not contain all known extant episodes.

OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that is Certified Complete is the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implies that all the files in the series are Certified Accurate but also indicates that the series is as complete as possible – it includes all extant episodes.

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Reviewer: andrew a - - May 8, 2013
Subject: THAT BIG GREAT SHOW
Just love the old time radio, can't get enough of it.
This collection just a delight, I listen to it all the time.
Miss Bankhead is simply outrageous.

Reviewer: Jofus-Boston - - May 6, 2013
Subject: Interesting Choice Of Time Slot
"Big Show" was launched as much to lead NBC Radio's counterattack against the CBS "talent raids" of 1948-49 as it was to fight the growth of television.

From the dawn of network radio through 1948, NBC Red/NBC dominated Sunday-night listening. At the end of 1948, Jack Benny (whose show had been the "anchor" of NBC's powerful Sunday-night lineup for the preceding sixteen years) suddenly left and moved to CBS, where his show would be heard on Sunday nights from 7 to 7:30 P.M. Eastern time---the very same timeslot he had been heard on NBC for all those years.

Suddenly, NBC's dominance of Sunday-night radio had ended. Everything NBC tried for a year-and-a-half failed to lure listeners away from Benny on CBS.

By having "Big Show" run for 90 minutes from 6 to 7:30 P.M. Eastern time, NBC hoped that listeners would stick with it and not change stations to the local CBS affiliate at 7 to hear Jack Benny.

I would not be surprised if "Big Show" actually had a decent numebr of listeners during its firs hour, only to have the numbers plunge when Jack Benny came on CBS.

Although "Big Show" was also intended to fight the growing influence of TV, it is interesting that it ended a half-hour before the start of the two top-rated Sunday-night shows of early 1950's television: "The Colgate Comedy Hour" on NBC-TV and "The Ed Sullivan Show" (originally known as "Toast Of The Town") on CBS-TV, both of which aired from 8 to 9 P.M. Eastern time.

Thus, I think "Big Show"'s scheduling was more an attempt to compete against Jack Benny's CBS Radio show that to compete against early television.

Reviewer: BellonaTimes - - August 16, 2008
Subject: Great series but skip the last available show
The one with Richard Easton is a complete bore. Tallu sounds desperate, the jokes are lamer than usual, even Ethel Merman disappoints -- although she and Bankhead have an okay catfight at one point. If you like unintentional humor, Peter Lorre sounds like a parody of himself by Mel Blanc, but it just goes on too long. Bottom of the barrel is purported comedian Joe Frisco who is about as funny as your own stubbed toe.

The rest of the series is generally excellent, especially the ones with Groucho, Phil Harris, George Sanders, & Bob Hope. The episode from London with Sanders features a wonderful reading of "Antony & Cleopatra" by Vivien Leigh and then-husband Laurence Olivier. The 4/1/51 episode has great repartee between TB and Ethel Barrymore. This is a must for theater buffs.

Reviewer: Iowatvman - - December 14, 2007
Subject: They don't make talent like this anymore...
These are true classics--great talent, great writing, it's hard to ask for more. It's just unfortunate that so many episodes seem to be missing. Thank you, NBC, for throwing away your history...

Reviewer: davidinberkeley - - April 26, 2007
Subject: Worthwhile
Be prepared for a vaudeville-variety format and some kind-of silly interstitial banter between guests. Beyond that this is a great representation of the biggest talents from this era.

I do enjoy it and save it for a long weekend afternoon of cooking and dishwashing.

Reviewer: pdatto - - April 26, 2007
Subject: The Big Show
Listening to the greats of yesteryear is a lesson in true talent.